Fortnite's return to iOS amidst changing gamer perceptions in Britain

Fortnite is making its way back to iPhones and iPads in Europe. This follows a period of tension between Apple and Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite, over payment rules on Apple's App Store. However, with European regulators stepping in with new guidelines, the path seems to have been cleared for Fortnite's return for now.

Following this development, insights from YouGov GameIndex, a tool that tracks hundreds of brand franchises and video game publishers daily, provides a better understanding of gamer’s perceptions over time.

Impression scores of Fortnite, which measure the net balance between positive and negative impressions of the video game franchise, indicate a decline from 3.3 to -5.1 among iOS mobile gamers aware of the brand from March 1, 2023, to March 19, 2024. For non-iOS mobile gamers, the scores experienced significant fluctuations, initially at -2.9, peaking at 7.9 on December 27, 2023, before finally settling at -3.4 by March 19, 2024. Impression scores among the general Britain adult population also fell from -9.5 to -7.4.

In contrast to the fluctuating perception of Fortnite, the overall Impression scores of Epic Games, the company behind the popular game, reveal a different trend. Among iOS mobile gamers, Epic Games saw a decline dropping from 20.5 to 15.6 from March 1, 2023, to March 19, 2024. However, among non-iOS mobile gamers, the company's reputation remained steady and even showed improvement. Among the general population in Britain, Epic Games experienced a notable increase in positive sentiment, with their Impression scores rising from 18.5 to 23.1 in the same period.

YouGov Profiles data sheds light on the gaming habits in Britain revealing that iPhone users are more likely to play Fortnite compared to users of other smartphones (9% iOS mobile gamers vs. 2% non-iOS mobile gamers).

When looking at how Fortnite ranks among other franchises, Super Mario ranks at the top among iOS mobile gamers (12%) followed by Grand Theft Auto (11%) and then Fortnite (9%). FIFA (16%) is more popular among non-iOS mobile gamers with Grand Theft Auto, Pokémon, Call of Duty, and Fortnite on the same level (9%).

Make smarter business decisions with better intelligence. Understand exactly what your audience is thinking by leveraging our panel of 26 million+ members. Speak with us today. 

Methodology: 

YouGov GameIndex collects data on hundreds of video game publishers and franchise brands every day. Fortnite’s Impression score is based on the question: Overall, which of the following games do you have a positive impression/ Now which of the following games do you have a negative impression? and delivered as a net score between –100 and + 100. Scores are based on an average daily sample size of 100 GB gamers between March 11, 2023, to March 11, 2024. The figures are based on a 52-week moving average. Learn more about BrandIndex.

YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for Great Britain is nationally representative and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Learn more about Profiles.

Cover photo image credit to fortnite.com